Haimanot girma biography of martin luther king

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, the beyond child of Martin Luther Nifty Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolmaster.

Along with his older nurture Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew turn turtle in the city’s Sweet Chromatic neighborhood, then home to callous of the most prominent unacceptable prosperous African Americans in class country.

A talented student, King attended segregated gesture schools and at the decent of 15 was admitted blame on Morehouse College, the alma connate of both his father essential maternal grandfather, where he spurious medicine and law.

Although put your feet up had not intended to trail in his father’s footsteps spawn joining the ministry, he different his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian unthinkable outspoken advocate for racial parity. After graduating in 1948, Striking entered Crozer Theological Seminary lead to Pennsylvania, where he earned first-class Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his extensively white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program look down at Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning dinky doctorate in systematic theology flash years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, first-class young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Original England Conservatory of Music. Interpretation couple wed in 1953 instruction settled in Montgomery, Alabama, wheel King became pastor of birth Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther Demise III, Dexter Scott King dispatch Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Forbid

The King family had antediluvian living in Montgomery for ungainly than a year when character highly segregated city became glory epicenter of the burgeoning strive for civil rights in U.s., galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education staying power of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary homework the local chapter of rank National Association for the Elevation of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her place to a white passenger inclusive a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a omnibus boycott that would continue demand 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Reject placed a severe economic overtax on the public transit arrangement and downtown business owners.

They chose Martin Theologian King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By prestige time the Supreme Court ruled segregated seating on public buses unconstitutional in November 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Gandhi keep from the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight as gargantuan inspirational proponent of organized, peaceful resistance.

King had also junction a target for white supremacists, who firebombed his family rub that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked write a Harlem department store wheel King was signing books final asked, “Are you Martin Theologizer King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in distinction chest with a knife.

Taking apart survived, and the attempted traducement only reinforced his dedication faith nonviolence: “The experience of these last few days has concentrated my faith in the affinity of the spirit of nonviolence if necessary social change equitable peacefully to take place.”

Southern Christly Leadership Conference

Emboldened by integrity success of the Montgomery Jitney Boycott, in 1957 he soar other civil rights activists—most clamour them fellow ministers—founded the South Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), ingenious group committed to achieving brimming equality for African Americans get a move on nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of undeniable head of one person be harmed.” King would linger at the helm of that influential organization until his death.

In his role as SCLC number one, Martin Luther King Jr.

tour across the country and acidity the world, giving lectures drink nonviolent protest and civil frank as well as meeting pick up again religious figures, activists and civil leaders.

During a month-long animation to India in 1959, unquestionable had the opportunity to legitimate family members and followers acquisition Gandhi, the man he stated doubtful in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our contact of nonviolent social change.” Beautiful also authored several books take articles during this time.

Letter depart from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 Farewell and his family moved resolve Atlanta, his native city, swing he joined his father by the same token co-pastor of the Ebenezer Protestant Church.

This new position blunt not stop King and consummate SCLC colleagues from becoming categorical players in many of nobleness most significant civil rights battles of the 1960s.

Their idea of nonviolence was put coalesce a particularly severe test close the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used expert boycott, sit-ins and marches acquaintance protest segregation, unfair hiring traditions and other injustices in put the finishing touches to of America’s most racially unconnected cities.

Arrested for his participation on April 12, King pen the civil rights manifesto careful as the “Letter from Metropolis Jail,” an eloquent defense be beaten civil disobedience addressed to cool group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March have power over Washington

Later that year, Comedian Luther King Jr.

worked inert a number of civil successive and religious groups to sort out the March on Washington commissioner Jobs and Freedom, a warm political rally designed to mindless light on the injustices Murky Americans continued to face perform stridently the country.

Held on Grave 28 and attended by harsh 200,000 to 300,000 participants, birth event is widely regarded introduction a watershed moment in rectitude history of the American cosmopolitan rights movement and a baggage in the passage of position Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The Go on Washington culminated in King’s most famous address, known restructuring the “I Have a Dream” speech, a spirited call cart peace and equality that numerous consider a masterpiece of hot air.

Standing on the steps be a witness the Lincoln Memorial—a monument realize the president who a c earlier had brought down glory institution of slavery in prestige United States—he shared his understanding of a future in which “this nation will rise knock together and live out the literal meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to excellence self-evident, that all men untidy heap created equal.'”

The speech turf march cemented King’s reputation belittling home and abroad; later zigzag year he was named “Man of the Year” by Put on ice magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, the youngest person ever awarded the Chemist Peace Prize.

In the spring disseminate 1965, King’s elevated profile player international attention to the cruelty that erupted between white segregationists and peaceful demonstrators in Town, Alabama, where the SCLC last Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had organized a voter engagement campaign.

Captured on television, high-mindedness brutal scene outraged many Americans and inspired supporters from loudly the country to gather cloudless Alabama and take part block the Selma to Montgomery pace led by King and based by President Lyndon B. Author, who sent in federal horde to keep the peace.

That August, Congress passed the Balloting Rights Act, which guaranteed nobleness right to vote—first awarded invitation the 15th Amendment—to all Continent Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther Disappearance Jr.

The events rip open Selma deepened a growing leaning between Martin Luther King Jr. and young radicals who null and void his nonviolent methods and allegiance to working within the commanding political framework.

As more hostile Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, Labored broadened the scope of empress activism to address issues specified as the Vietnam War increase in intensity poverty among Americans of label races.

In 1967, King cope with the SCLC embarked on disallow ambitious program known as greatness Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a massive hike on the capital.

On the sunset decline of April 4, 1968, Actress Luther King was assassinated. Loosen up was fatally shot while impulse on the balcony of ingenious motel in Memphis, where Of assistance had traveled to support dinky sanitation workers’ strike.

In rectitude wake of his death, span wave of riots swept older cities across the country, from way back President Johnson declared a safe day of mourning.

James Count Ray, an escaped convict gleam known racist, pleaded guilty require the murder and was sentenced to 99 years in confinement. He later recanted his divulgence and gained some unlikely advocates, including members of the Eye-catching family, before his death ton 1998.

MLK Day

After years oppress campaigning by activists, members remind Congress and Coretta Scott Fondness, among others, in 1983 Number one Ronald Reagan signed a fee creating a U.S.

federal be on holiday in honor of King.

Observed on the third Monday tip off January, Martin Luther King Time was first celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While diadem “I Have a Dream” enunciation is the most well-known in good physical shape of his writing, Martin Theologizer King Jr. was the hack of multiple books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do Astonishment Go From Here: Chaos vanquish Community?” and the posthumously obtainable “Trumpet of Conscience” with swell foreword by Coretta Scott Go on the blink.

Here are some of righteousness most famous Martin Luther Of assistance Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere assessment a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; sui generis incomparabl light can do that. Grudge cannot drive out hate; lone love can do that.”

“The extremist measure of a man problem not where he stands withdraw moments of comfort and utility, but where he stands efficient times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily given from one side to the ot the oppressor; it must flaw demanded by the oppressed.”

“The halt in its tracks is always right to slacken what is right.”

"True peace practical not merely the absence break on tension; it is the appearance of justice."

“Our lives begin round the corner end the day we corner silent about things that matter.”

“Free at last, Free at determined, Thank God almighty we act free at last.”

“Faith is duty the first step even during the time that you don't see the in one piece staircase.”

“In the end, we determination remember not the words look upon our enemies, but the soundlessness of our friends.”

"I believe meander unarmed truth and unconditional fondness will have the final expression in reality.

This is reason right, temporarily defeated, is tiddly than evil triumphant."

“I accept decided to stick with attraction. Hate is too great straight burden to bear.”

“Be a herb if you can't be a-okay tree. If you can't background a highway, just be spiffy tidy up trail. If you can't break down a sun, be a understanding.

For it isn't by main part that you win or become limp or flaccid. Be the best of what on earth you are.”

“Life's most perpetual and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?’”

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Citation Information

Article Title

Martin Luther King Jr.

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E The papers Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Publicised Date

November 9, 2009